The first complete recording of them dates from 1942, but it was after the second World War that they achieved the broad popularity that they enjoy today. Although The Seasons were not among the concertos that Bach transcribed, they soon came to public attention as the Vivaldi revival continued. The gradual revival of Vivaldi's music from that time was at first of interest to musicologists because of its influence on Bach, who had studied it and transcribed a number of the concertos for harpsichord.

Then, along with the rest of Vivaldi's output, The Four Seasons fell out of the repertoire for over a century before being 'rediscovered' in the first part of the twentieth century.

Spring (La primavera), perhaps the particular favorite of the French, was not only often heard in its original form but was also arranged for larger forces (a choral motet by Michel Corette) and smaller (a version for flute alone by Jean-Jacques Rousseau).

The concertos were especially popular in France, where they were played many times in the Concert Spirituel. Vivaldi's The Four Seasons are not only among the most popular pieces of classical music today, but they circulated widely in the composer's time, as well, and inspired programmatic pieces by others.

The four seasons violin